I have returned recently from two very intensive weeks of teaching at Katho in Belgium. It has been exhausting but extremely exciting at the same time. This is a partnership that has been going on since December 2008 and it has been a tremendous opportunity for teaching about and with new media, anesthetist both from a more general, resuscitator technology-driven perspective as well as from a more focused, ed communication/branding background.
Even now, 4 years into our collaboration the evaluations reveal very similar patterns. Students appreciate yet feel very much under pressure when working in a problem-based environment where deadlines are tight. Lecturer support is therefore extremely important, guidance and availability beyond teaching hours being sought and desired. Technology and the integration of technology – both as practice as well as problems – in the classroom is considered innovative which brings questions about how often and in which form is technology adopted in the coursework they undertake in their home countries.
With regards to technology, the students this semester seemed to be more skeptical and aware of the implications of their usage of technology. This made the new exercise which involved reading and analyzing the privacy policy of a social media platform particularly insightful and interesting. The students’ curiosity towards new media and more receptiveness to trying ‘new things’ made the experimental nature of the classes to be well received. Moreover, the student centered learning mixed (student presentations through which concepts are to be discovered) with blended learning concepts (final results and projects to be shared and uploaded online), enhaced the student experience and improved the student-lecturer relationship where the two became partners in sharing knowledge rather than have a unidirectional, information exchange relationship.
As said, the experience this year has been particularly positive for me. I am happy to see that is has been equally positive for the students (see the evaluations below).